Electronic device manufacturing facilities, or “fabs”, typically employ process tools which perform manufacturing processes in the production of electronic devices. Such processes may include physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, etch, cleaning and other electronic device manufacturing processes. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular electronic device manufacturing process. A fab is typically laid out with a clean room on one floor, and a room containing auxiliary systems and devices which support the clean room on a lower floor, herein referred to as a “sub-fab.” For ease of reference, the phrases ‘auxiliary systems’ and ‘auxiliary devices’ may be used interchangeably herein to describe a sub-fab system and/or device. One important function of the sub-fab is to abate toxic, flammable or otherwise potentially harmful substances which are common byproducts of electronic device manufacturing processes. Sub-fabs commonly utilize large amounts of energy and create large amounts of waste heat, which may have a detrimental environmental effect and which may be very expensive for a fab operator.
Thus, the inventors have provided an improved sub-fab control which uses less energy, amongst other benefits, without negatively impacting a fab's production.